AYC extra (external LEDs) in a-pillar mod

[AlanDITD]

i think it would be better to also have the third light wired to some neons under the car.....

[John TheAntique]

i think it would be better to also have the third light wired to some neons under the car.....

Poser.

[Turbo_Steve]

You could potentially have a white LED for the 3rd AYC light - would mean you saw a VERY bright warning that you were on the limit!

The only word of caution I have is that you're potentially putting a lot of current load on the resistors that drive the LEDs.

Given that the LEDS aren't on for very long, I suspect that it won't be an issue, but I wouldn't get too carried away putting mega bright, heavy current consumption LEDs in parallel with the in-dash ones, just in case. Not sure where the resistors live, but as you're wiring direct to the back of the dash, the implication is that they're inside the AYC ECU?


I'm pretty much certain that you don't need 6 wires, dude: As Garry says, I suspect that these are switched -ve.

Given that there are 4 screws next to each other for the AYC module in the dash binnacle, my suspicion would be that one is permanently positive, and the other three are postive when the LEDs are off.

When an LED lights, it's anode sees 0v, and so current flows and the LED lights.

So you'd need to take the +ve run up in a single conductor, and the 3 switched returns back to where they are on the dash.

Basically, rather than re-wire it completely, stick a voltmeter between the screws you're already using and the one next to them. You should find it's 0v.
Then measure from each of the screws to chassis. The should all be the same voltage.

Now Do the same, but activate the AYC lights (for example, switch the ignition off and on) and see that one screw remains a +2.5v (or whatever) and the others drop to 0v.

If this works, you just need to reverse the polarity of your remote LEDs, and connect the 4th wire to the remaining screw. Job done.


Just out of interest, what voltage are those screws running at?

[miller]

Wonder if its possible to add a small buzzer to the third light so it gives you an audible warning when you hit 3 bars

Thats what passengers are for!

[AlanDITD]

Poser.

Would suit your car john

[psbarham]

Yeah right, like you are always on 3 bars when driving day to day

you've never seen glen on a slow day have you?

[Wodjno]

Yeah right, like you are always on 3 bars when driving day to day

You really don't know me at all Do you Atik

[Atik]

I refuse to believe that you drive around in a circle with three bars of AYC all the time

Yes, on the corners, but a 90deg corner takes a second to go around at the speeds to cause three bars. A roundabout at three bars will take a few secs. The rest of the time, you accelerate hard and brake hard = no AYC unless on gravel surfaces.

So it's not about believing or knowing Wodj's driving style, its physics and logic that dictates you being on three bars for less time than you actually think you are.

[Spirit]

its physics and logic that dictates you being on three bars for less time than you actually think you are.

.....and the brown stains in your pants that prove you were in Wodj's suicide seat

[wintertidenz]

Will run out to the car now and see if I can find out what the direct feed from the AYC ECU is - 12v permanent, or only when the lights are on.

[wintertidenz]

Okay, it's 12v permanent with the power going to 0 when the lights are on.

(well, it actually seems to be 8v when the car is off and 10v when the car is on, but that might be the wire/ground I was using).

[MarkSanne]

Alrighty folks!

We're back on track. And it's working now.
I rewired it all again, so forget all about my first post.

Here we go!

First we start with the 3 screws which provide the (negative) signal to each of the original dash AYC LEDs. And you notice 3 plastic rings which are the key to succes!


Next are the same screws with added heat shrink. This is needed to provide a security insulation layer which will explain itself in the next picture.


This is the secret to get this mod working: each a-pillar LED is connected to the signal-path (e.g. the red wire at the bottom (negative) and the black wire on the screw (signal)). So in fact all "current" runs through the a-pillar LED and then onto the original gauge cluster AYC LEDs.


Now that my former 4-pin USB plug connection is no longer up to the job (it's now a 6-wire connection) I needed a 6-pin connection. The misses suggested RJ45 connectors. Duh!!! I'm a IT geek... I should've thought of that! Nevertheless: it's an exellent way to go, see:


A new picture of the a-pillar LED connections:
NOTE!!! switch the wiring between the middle and bottom two LED. For some sort of mysterious reason, the Mitsu engineers felt the need to have the sequence on the 3 screws in BAC ipstead of ABC order. So if you follow the pictured wiring exactly as you see on the pics, you'll end up the the middle LED lighting up first... Better learn from my mistake and wire it up correct.


And again with RJ45 connector:


And one more of the complete a-pillar:


I've used a RJ45-coupler (and wrapped it in soft packaging material, not displayed here to prevent rattling):


And the end-result! (might take a few minutes before you can view it!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MR8BDg0K24c

[AlanDITD]

bah vid not up yet

Awesome though mark, well impressed

[wintertidenz]

So the LEDs aren't actually grounded, just flowing back to the standard LEDs?

Hmm, this has me wondering how to do mine now...

[Louis]

Well done, nice mod, makes sense, good info also,

[pezza]

nice work there mark. great lil mod! rj45 is a stroke of genius!

[Turbo_Steve]

So the new LEDs and the existing LEDs run at half their brightness?

[MarkSanne]

Nope, I could show by disconnecting the RJ45 plug, but I see no difference at all on the original AYC LEDs.

[Turbo_Steve]

er.....if the current is running THROUGH the new LEDs then surely unplugging the RJ45 means the ones in the dash stop working as the circuit is broken?

Am I missing something, here?


+ve --------------- LED -----------------New LED----------------- -ve
2.5V--------------- LED -----------------unplugged


If they are in series, there MUST be some voltage drop accross them (around 2volts IIRC) which means it's impossible that they are the same brightness.

[Atik]

Awesome work Mark!

I'm still trying to work out the flow of electricity through the circuit. You said "each a-pillar LED is connected to the signal-path (e.g. the red wire at the bottom (negative) and the black wire on the screw (signal))." Does that mean the red is connected directly onto the shaft of the screw under the plastic washer you have installed? Or is it as the end of the shaft of the screw at the end? The black is then fixed between the top of the plastic washer and the head of the screw?

Edit, I think I get it now: the heatshrink on the screw helps insulate the screw from touching the electric circuitry. The end of the screw still connects as normal. The red goes between the washer and the circuitry plastics and the connection is made complete by the black wire then connecting to the screw.

And as Steve has mentioned, does that not mean the original LED wont work if the RJ45 is unplugged?